What Is All Souls Day (And Why Do Catholics Celebrate It)? By Scott P. Richert Updated October 18, 2016. Often overshadowed by the two days preceding it, Halloween (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1), All Souls Day is a solemn celebration in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating all of those who have died and are now in Purgatory , being cleansed of their venial sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed, and being made pure before entering into the presence of God in Heaven.

Quick Facts About All Souls Day Date: November 2 Type of Feast: Commemoration Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 5:5-11 or Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40 ( full text here ) Other Names for the Feast: All Souls' Day, Feast of All Souls The History of All Souls Day The importance of All Souls Day was made clear by Pope Benedict XV (1914-22), when he granted all priests the privilege of celebrating three Masses on All Souls Day: one for the faithful departed; one for the priest's intentions; and one for the intentions of the Holy Father. On only a handful of other very important feast days are priests allowed to celebrate more than two Masses. While All Souls Day is now paired with All Saints Day (November 1), which celebrates all of the faithful who are in Heaven, it originally was celebrated in the Easter season , around Pentecost Sunday (and still is in the Eastern Catholic Churches).

By the tenth century, the celebration had been moved to October; and sometime between 998 and 1030, St. Odilo of Cluny decreed that it should be celebrated on November 2 in all of the monasteries of his Benedictine congregation. Over the next two centuries, other Benedictines and the Carthusians began to celebrate it in their monasteries as well, and soon the commemoration of all the Holy Souls in Purgatory spread to the entire Church. Offering Our Efforts on Behalf of the Holy Souls On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts, through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory. There are two plenary indulgences attached to All Souls Day, one for visiting a church and another for visiting a cemetery . (The plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery can also be obtained every day from November 1-8, and, as a partial indulgence , on any day of the year.) While the actions are performed by the living, the merits of the indulgences are applicable only to the souls in Purgatory.

Since a plenary indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment for sin, which is the reason why souls are in Purgatory in the first place, applying a plenary indulgence to one of the Holy Souls in Purgatory means that the Holy Soul is released from Purgatory and enters Heaven. Praying for the dead is a Christian obligation. In the modern world, when many have come to doubt the Church's teaching on Purgatory , the need for such prayers has only increased. The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory , and participation in the Mass of All Souls Day is a good way to begin the month. All Souls' Day in the United States Home Calendar Holidays the United States All Souls' Day All Souls' Day in the United States All Souls’ Day in the United States is dedicated to prayers for the dead. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated on this day. Many western churches annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2 and many eastern churches celebrate it prior to Lent and the day before Pentecost . Some churches have special services for All Souls' Day. Some churches have special services for All Souls' Day.

©iStockphoto.com/andres balcazar What Do People Do? All Souls’ Day in the United States is a day of prayer for deceased souls. Many Christians visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. Some cemeteries offer candles to be placed on these graves. The candles are blessed and marked with the names of the deceased to be placed at the designated grave sites. The Catholic Church remembers deceased members of the congregation on this day. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)is celebrated in many parts of the United States, particularly where there are large Latin American communities. Day of the Dead events, which come in the form of festivals, parades and group celebrations, are held on November 1-2 to coincide with All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day . During these celebrations some people wear masks, carry signs, or put up elaborate decorations to honor the dead. Some community centers invite people to commemorate their deceased loved ones with ofrendas (offerings) through alters that include food, symbols, flowers, candles, photos and other mementos. Altars in memory of the dead are also made in people’s homes.

Public Life All Souls’ Day is not a public holiday but people who live in cities where Day of the Dead parades, festivals and celebrations are likely to occur may need to check traffic reports on possible traffic congestion or blocked streets. Background All Souls’ Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity. It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. Today the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Although All Souls’ Day is observed informally by some Protestants, it is primarily a Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox holy day. The Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back to the various indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs and other pre-Hispanic civilizations, from as far back as 3000 years ago. Skulls were collected and used during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.

Symbols The skull, which symbolizes death and/or rebirth, is used for All Souls’ Day. With regard to the Day of the Dead, elaborately decorated skulls, including those made of candy, are made for the day. The Marigold is a traditional flower that is associated with the dead. Some say that the flower represents the rays of the Sun, which is linked with life, so the deceased have not lost their place in the universe. The raven and the crow have both been linked with death, although some say that the crow tends to be confused with the raven, which they claim is the true symbol associated with death. What is All Souls’ Day? What is All Souls’ Day? Subscribe to our Question of the Week : Question: "What is All Souls’ Day?" Answer: All Souls’ Day is a church holiday designed to commemorate loved ones who have died. The different branches of the church have different histories with All Souls’ Day.

Roman Catholicism: The official name of All Souls’ Day in the Roman Catholic Church is “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.” Originally, this feast day was celebrated around Easter time, but was eventually moved to November 2, the day after All Saints’ Day (unless the 2nd falls on a Sunday, in which case All Souls’ Day is moved to the 3rd). Roman Catholics pray, celebrate Mass, visit cemeteries, and give alms in memory of those believers who they believe are held in purgatory, in hopes that their souls will be released to heaven. The rest of November is also spent praying for the dead. Eastern Orthodoxy: Tradition says that in 893 Byzantine Emperor Leo VI wished to dedicate a church to his wife. He was denied, so he dedicated it to “all souls,” ensuring she would be remembered in the celebrations. A feast once devoted only to martyrs was altered to include all the faithful. The Orthodox Church celebrates All Souls’ Day several times throughout the year, including four times during or around Lent. Protestantism: The observance or non-observance of All Souls’ Day is varied throughout Protestantism.

Some Protestant denominations merged All Souls’ Day with All Saints’ Day . Others have abolished All Souls’ Day entirely. Others observe it entirely in a secular sense by tidying up the gravestones of departed loved ones. Although related to pagan festivals of the dead, All Souls’ Day is much younger—from the Middle Ages, at the latest. It is not biblical. Although it is fine to groom cemeteries and remember our departed loved ones, purgatory does not exist, and there is no reason we should pray for the dead . When Is All Souls Day? (In This and Other Years) When Is All Souls Day? In This and Other Years A man in a cemetery. Christian Martinez Kempin/E+/Getty Images By Scott P. Richert Updated April 23, 2016. All Souls Day is a solemn commemoration of those who have died and are now in Purgatory . When is All Souls Day? How Is the Date of All Souls Day Determined? All Souls Day was originally celebrated in the Easter season , close to Pentecost Sunday .

By the 13th century, however, under the influence of the Benedictine and Carthusian religious orders, the Church began to pair All Souls Day with All Saints Day , the day on which we celebrate all those who have died in faith and now are in Heaven. Since the date of All Saints Day was established as November 1 by Pope Gregory IV in the ninth century, it was natural to celebrate All Souls Day on the following day, November 2. All Souls Day in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the Novus Ordo ), All Souls Day is always celebrated on November 2. However, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the Traditional Latin Mass ), when November 2 falls on a Sunday, the commemoration of All Souls Day is transferred to the following day, November 3. Why? Because the Mass celebrated for All Souls Day in the Extraordinary Form is a requiem Mass—a Mass for the dead—and requiem Masses, like funerals, are not permitted on Sundays, which is the day Christians celebrate the Resurrection . When Is All Souls Day This Year?

Here is the date and day of the week of All Souls Day this year: All Souls Day 2016: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Free a Soul From Purgatory on All Souls Day A plenary indulgence , which applies only to the Holy Souls in Purgatory , can be gained on All Souls Day. By fulfilling the conditions of the indulgence, you can release a soul from Purgatory. It's a good way to remember a family member or friend who has died in the past year, or to exercise Christian charity on behalf of a soul in Purgatory who has no one to pray for him . You can learn more about the All Souls Day indulgence, and how to obtain it, in Indulgence for a Visit to a Church or Oratory on All Souls Day . And remember: If you have a church in your area that celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, you can obtain the All Souls Day indulgence twice in years when November 2 falls on Sunday—once by attending a Novus Ordo Mass on November 2; and again by attending the Latin Mass on November 3. When Is All Souls Day in Future Years?

Here are the dates and days of the week when All Souls Day will fall in future years: All Souls Day 2017: Thursday, November 2, 2017 All Souls Day 2018: Friday, November 2, 2018 All Souls Day 2019: Saturday, November 2, 2019 All Souls Day 2020: Monday, November 2, 2020 All Souls Day 2021: Tuesday, November 2, 2021 All Souls Day 2022: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 All Souls Day 2023: Thursday, November 2, 2023 All Souls Day 2024: Saturday, November 2, 2024 All Souls Day 2025: Sunday, November 2, 2025 (transferred to Monday, November 3, 2025, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) When Was All Souls Day in Previous Years?

Here are the dates and days of the week when All Souls Day fell in previous years, going back to 2007:​ All Souls Day 2007: Friday, November 2, 2007 All Souls Day 2008: Sunday, November 2, 2008 (transferred to Monday, November 3, 2008, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) All Souls Day 2009: Monday, November 2, 2009 All Souls Day 2010: Tuesday, November 2, 2010 All Souls Day 2011: Wednesday, November 2, 2011 All Souls Day 2012: Friday, November 2, 2012 All Souls Day 2013: Saturday, November 2, 2013 All Souls Day 2014: Sunday, November 2, 2014 (transferred to Monday, November 3, 2014, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) All Souls Day 2015: Monday, November 2

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. . All Saints' Day, Halloween and All Souls' Day: What's the difference? - Living Faith - Home & Family - News - Catholic Online All Saints' Day, Halloween and All Souls' Day: What's the difference? All Saints' Day, Halloween and All Souls' Day: What's the difference? Catholic Online ( ) Purgatory, candy, honoring the dead and costumes? Everyone knows how to celebrate Halloween -with costumes, candy and horror movies, right? Well, that isn't wrong but it isn't the entire story either. What about All Saints' Day or All Souls' Day? Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (CovenofMercury/Photobucket). Highlights Light Your Prayer Candle Now Long ago in Ireland and Britain, Christians would come together on All Hallows Eve to ask for God's blessing and protection from the evil in the world. The source of the modern celebrations stemmed from the donning of saintly and evil spirit costumes to act out the battle between good and evil. Tasty Halloween candy ready to be handed out.

According to dictionary.com, the word "Halloween" is a "direct derivation of All Saints Day" with "All Hallows" in Old English meaning "the feast of the saints." "Halloween" has also been translated to "Eve of All Hallows," which was a holy day celebrating the day before All Saints Day, that Reverend Richard Donohoe, the vicar of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Birmingham, described as "a celebration of the communion of saints, those people we believe are in heaven, through good works and God's grace." All Saints' Day is celebrated the first day of November while All Souls' Day is celebrated November 2. Candles burning on a grave in Hungary to mark All Saints Day. All Saints' Day is a day Catholics offer prayers to those in purgatory. Reverend Donohoe said, "All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are related, but they are two separate celebrations. On All Saints' Day there's a call to live as saints, to remind us how we're supposed to live. On All Souls' Day, we're talking about all souls and asking God's mercy for them.

"We're talking about those people who have died before us, and their process of getting to heaven, through Christ ... It has its roots all the way back to the fourth century." It is on this day that the Book of the Dead is opened to allow parishioners to write the names of relatives to be remembered. Campo Verano cemetery. Reverend Donohoe described that the book is "placed near the altar" and "That's done all through November. It's an All Souls' tradition..." All Souls' Day is a commemoration of the faithfully departed and is observed primarily in the Catholic Church. Its origins date back to European folklore related to customs of veneration practiced worldwide through evens like the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) or the Chinese Ghost Festival. To remember the departed, many cultures prepare meals for the souls of the dead, light candles or leave flowers on relatives' graves and some anoint tombstones with holy water or pour milk over them.

Subscribe Now - Catholic Online YouTube All Souls' day is celebrated November second and if that day happens to fall on a Sunday, the Mass is of All Souls and Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers) for the Dead can be said while people participate. Each celebration touches on cultural beliefs about the spirit world, honoring the dead and feasts, so when you celebrate Halloween this year remember to prepare for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day as well. --- Copyright 2017 - Distributed by THE CALIFORNIA NETWORK Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for DECEMBER 2016 Universal: End to Child-Soldiers: That the scandal of child-soldiers may be eliminated the world over. Evangelization: Europe: That the peoples of Europe may rediscover the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Gospel which gives joy and hope to life. All Souls' Day Home > Calendar > Holidays > All Souls' Day All Souls' Day All Souls’ Day is a day of alms giving and prayers for the dead. The intent is for the living to assist those in purgatory.

Many western churches annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2 and many eastern churches celebrate it prior to Lent and the day before Pentecost . Many people visit family graves on All Souls' Day. ©iStockphoto.com/Tomasz Wojnarowicz What do people do? In many Catholic countries, people attend churches, which are appropriately draped in black, and visit family graves to honor their ancestors. All Souls’ Day is connected with All Saints’ Day , which is observed on the day before, where people take the time to decorate the graves of deceased loved ones and light candles in their memory. All Souls’ Day in Mexico is a national holiday called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Many people believe that the spirits of the dead return to enjoy a visit to their friends and relatives on this day. Long before sunrise, people stream into the cemeteries laden with candles, flowers and food that is often shaped and decorated to resemble the symbols of death. Children eat tiny chocolate hearse, sugar funeral wreaths, and candy skulls and coffins. But the atmosphere is festive. In the United States Día de los Muertos is celebrated in areas such as Los Angeles where there is a large Latin American population.

The Day of the Dead is a popular time to see performances of the Ancient Spanish drama, Don Juan Tenorio, about a reckless lover who kills the father of a woman he tried to seduce and then erects the statue of his victim. According to this fictitious play, the statue comes alive and drags Don Juan to hell for account of his crimes. In Italy Il Giorno dei Morti begins at dawn with a solemn Requiem for the dead. Church bells toll and people decorate the graves of deceased family members with flowers and candles. But this day is not an entirely solemn occasion. In Sicily the children who pray for the souls of the departed leave their shoes outside doors and windows. These shoes are then filled with gifts. In Rome some young people may announce their engagements on All Souls’ Day. The man sends the engagement ring to his fiancé in a small white box. It is then packed in an oval container filled with fave dei morti (beans of the dead), a type of cookie. Public life All Souls’ Day is a public holiday in countries such as (but not exclusive to): Angola. Belgium (eg. for government employees). Bolivia. Macau (a special administrative region of China). Mexico.

Uruguay. All Souls’ Day is not a nationwide public holiday but is observed in some Christian churches in countries such as Australia , Canada , the United Kingdom and the United States . Background All Souls’ Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity. It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. Today the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Although All Souls’ Day is observed informally by some Protestants, it is primarily a Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox holy day. Symbols The skull, which is the symbol of death, is used for All Souls’ Day in many cultures. For example, candy in form of a sugar skull, which can also made with chocolate, are made for the day. In Sicily, crunchy, clove-scented cookies called "bones of the dead" are made for All Soul's Day.

Note: While timeanddate.com has mentioned various countries that officially observe All Souls’ Day, it is important to note that it has not listed every country that officially observes the day. Advertising All Souls' Day in United Kingdom Home Calendar Holidays United Kingdom All Souls' Day All Souls' Day in United Kingdom Some churches in the United Kingdom annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2. All Souls’ Day is the day after All Saints’ Day . Some churches have special All Souls' Day services in the United Kingdom. Some churches have special All Souls' Day services in the United Kingdom. ©iStockphoto.com/Sean Locke What Do People Do? Some churches, including the Catholic Church, hold special services with music and prayers focused on All Souls’ Day on or around November 2 each year. It is a time for some Christians, including those who attend these special All Souls’ Day services, to remember and pray for deceased family members and friends. Some people visit the graves of dead family or friends on All Souls’ Day. All Souls’ Day is closely associated with All Saints’ Day (November 1), as both are known collectively as Hallowtide. Public Life All Souls’ Day is not a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.

Background All Souls’ Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity. It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. It was historically customary for poor Christians to offer prayers for the dead in return for money or food (soul cakes) from their wealthier neighbors. During the 19th and 20th centuries children would go “souling” in a similar fashion to carol singing, in which they would ask for alms or soul cakes. There was also a superstition that All Souls' night was a time for the dead revisited their homes. Therefore some people would leave lit candles outside their homes to help to guide the deceased souls. Meals and wine were also left as refreshments. Symbols A soul cake is like a hot cross bun but without the currants or the cross on top.

About All Souls' Day in other countries All Souls' Day in United States All Souls' Day in United States Quick Facts Prayers for the dead are made on All Souls’ Day in the United States, which falls on November 2 each year. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated on this day. Local names List of dates for other years All Souls’ Day in the United States is dedicated to prayers for the dead. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated on this day. Many western churches annually observe All Souls’ Day on November 2 and many eastern churches celebrate it prior to Lent and the day before Pentecost . The skull is a popular symbol for the Day of the Dead in the United States. ©iStockphoto.com/Marcela Barsse What do people do? All Souls’ Day in the United States is a day of prayer for deceased souls. Many Christians visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. Some cemeteries offer candles to be placed on these graves. The candles are blessed and marked with the names of the deceased to be placed at the designated grave sites. The Catholic Church remembers deceased members of the congregation on this day.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)is celebrated in many parts of the United States, particularly where there are large Latin American communities. Day of the Dead events, which come in the form of festivals, parades and group celebrations, are held on November 1-2 to coincide with All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day . During these celebrations some people wear masks, carry signs, or put up elaborate decorations to honor the dead. Some community centers invite people to commemorate their deceased loved ones with ofrendas (offerings) through alters that include food, symbols, flowers, candles, photos and other mementos. Altars in memory of the dead are also made in people’s homes. Public life All Souls’ Day is not a public holiday but people who live in cities where Day of the Dead parades, festivals and celebrations are likely to occur may need to check traffic reports on possible traffic congestion or blocked streets. Background All Souls’ Day was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny in 993 CE and quickly spread throughout the Christian world. People held festivals for the dead long before Christianity.

It was Saint Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, who in the 10th century, proposed that the day after All Saints’ Day be set aside to honor the departed, particularly those whose souls were still in purgatory. Today the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Although All Souls’ Day is observed informally by some Protestants, it is primarily a Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox holy day. The Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back to the various indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs and other pre-Hispanic civilizations, from as far back as 3000 years ago. Skulls were collected and used during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. Symbols The skull, which symbolizes death and/or rebirth, is used for All Souls’ Day. With regard to the Day of the Dead, elaborately decorated skulls, including those made of candy, are made for the day. The Marigold is a traditional flower that is associated with the dead. Some say that the flower represents the rays of the sun, which is linked with life, so the deceased have not lost their place in the universe.

The raven and the crow have both been linked with death, although some say that the crow tends to be confused with the raven, which they claim is the true symbol associated with death. About All Souls' Day in other countries All Souls Day (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed) : Commemoration of the Faithful Departed; Commemoratio omnium Fidelium Defunctorum Scriptural References : 2 Maccabees 12:44-45; Matthew 12:31-32; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; 1 Peter 3:18-20 Introduction All Souls Day directly follows All Saints Day , and commemorates the faithful departed, i.e. those who die in God's grace and friendship. Catholics believe that not everyone who dies in God's grace is immediately ready for the Beatific vision, i.e. the direct experience of God and his perfect nature in heaven, so they must be purified of "lesser faults," and the temporal effects of sin.

The Catholic Church calls this purification "purgatory." The Catholic teaching on Purgatory essentially requires belief in two realities: 1. that there will be a purification of believers prior to entering heaven and 2. that the prayers and masses of the faithful in some way benefit those in the state of purification. As to the duration, place, and exact nature of this purification, the Church has no official dogma, although Saint Augustine and others used fire as a way to explain the nature of the purification. Many faithful Catholics, including Pope Benedict XVI, understand that Purgatory may be best thought of as an "existential state" as opposed to a temporal place (see Benedict's Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life 230-231). In other words, because Purgatory is outside created time and space, it is not necessarily accurate to speak of a location or duration of Purgatory. Nonetheless, the prayers and Masses of the faithful do have an impact on the purification that the faithful are undergoing in Purgatory. Many non-Catholics, including C.S.

Lewis, have believed in Purgatory, and the official dogma of Purgatory is hardly offensive, even if the popular understanding of it has led to confusion. As a more everyday explanation, many liken Purgatory to a place or state where one gets "cleaned up" before entering into the presence of Almighty God. The Church prays for, and remembers, the faithful departed throughout the entire year. However, All Souls is the general, solemn, day of commemoration, when the Church remembers, prays for, and offers requiem masses up for the faithful departed in the state of purification. Typically Christians will take this day to offer prayers up on behalf of their departed relatives and friends. Others may remember influential individuals that they never knew personally, such as presidents, musicians, etc. This may be done in the form of the Office of the Dead (Defunctorum officium), i.e. a prayer service offered in memory of departed loved ones. Often this office is prayed on the anniversary (or eve) of the death of a loved one, or on All Souls' Day. There are many customs associated with All Souls Day, and these vary greatly from culture to culture.

In Mexico they celebrate All Souls Day as el dia de los muertos, or "the day of the dead." Customs include going to a graveyard to have a picnic, eating skull-shaped candy, and leaving food out for dead relatives. The practice of leaving food out for dead relatives is interesting, but not exactly Catholic Theology. If all of this seems a little morbid, remember that all cultures deal with death in different manners. The Western aversion to anything related to death is not present in other cultures. In the Philippines, they celebrate "Memorial Day" based loosely on All Souls Day. Customs include praying novenas for the holy souls, and ornately decorating relatives' graves. On the eve of All Souls (i.e. the evening of All Saints Day ), partiers go door-to-door, requesting gifts and singing a traditional verse representing the liberation of holy souls from purgatory. In Hungary the day is known as Halottak Napja, "the day of the dead," and a common custom is inviting orphans into the family and giving them food, clothes, and toys. In rural Poland, a legend developed that at midnight on All Souls Day a great light shone on the local parish.

This light was said to be the holy souls of departed parishioners gathered to pray for their release from Purgatory at the altars of their former earthly parishes. After this, the souls were said to return to scenes from their earthly life and work, visiting homes and other places. As a sign of welcome, Poles leave their windows and doors ajar on the night of All Souls Day. All of these customs show the wide variety of traditions related to All Souls Day. History Christians have been praying for their departed brothers and sisters since the earliest days of Christianity. Early liturgies and inscriptions on catacomb walls attest to the ancientness of prayers for the dead, even if the Church needed more time to develop a substantial theology behind the practice. Praying for the dead is actually borrowed from Judaism, as indicated in 2 Maccabees 12:41-42. In the New Testament, St Paul prays for mercy for his departed friend Onesiphorus ( 2 Timothy 1:18). Early Christian writers Tertullian and St. Cyprian testify to the regular practice of praying for the souls of the departed.

Tertullian justified the practice based on custom and Tradition, and not on explicit scriptural teaching. This demonstrates that Christians believed that their prayers could somehow have a positive effect on the souls of departed believers. Closely connected to the ancient practice of praying for the dead is the belief in an explicit state called purgatory. The New Testament hints at a purification of believers after death. For example, Saint Paul speaks of being saved, "but only as through fire" ( 1 Corinthians 3:15). Over time, many Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, e.g. in Enchiridion of Faith, Hope, and Love and City of God , further developed the concept of a purgation of sins through fire after death. In the early Church, departed Christians' names were placed on diptychs. In the sixth century, Benedictine communities held commemorations for the departed on the feast of Pentecost. All Souls' Day became a universal festival largely on account of the influence of Odilo of Cluny in AD 998, when he commanded its annual celebration in the Benedictine houses of his congregation. This soon spread to the Carthusian congregations as well.

The day was celebrated on various days, including October 15th in 12th century Milan. Today all Western Catholics celebrate All Souls' Day on November 2, as do many Anglicans, Lutherans, and other Christians. Initially many Protestant reformers rejected All Souls' Day because of the theology behind the feast (Purgatory and prayers/masses for the dead), but the feast is now being celebrated in many Protestant communities, in many cases with a sub-Catholic theology of Purgatory. Some Protestants even pray for the dead; many Anglican liturgies include such prayers. While the Eastern Churches lack a clearly defined doctrine of Purgatory, they still regularly pray for the departed. See the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church and The Catholic Source Book for more information. Worship and Prayer Resources All Souls' Day - All Souls' Day - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Saints & Angels Day of the Dead All Souls Day is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other denominations of Christianity. The Anglican church is the largest protestant church to celebrate the holy day.

Most protestant denominations do not recognize the holiday and disagree with the theology behind it. According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go. Purgatory is necessary so that souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter into heaven. There is scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in 2 Maccabees, 12:26 and 12:32. "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out... Thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin." Additional references are found in Zechariah, Sirach, and the Gospel of Matthew. Jewish tradition also reinforces this belief as well as the tradition and teaching of the Church, which has been affirmed throughout history.

Consistent with these teachings and traditions, Catholics believe that through the prayers of the faithful on Earth, the dead are cleansed of their sins so they may enter into heaven. The belief in purgatory has not been without controversy. Certainly, some flagrant abuses of the doctrine were used to raise money for the Church during the renaissance. Famously, Martin Luther argued with the monk, Johan Tetzel, over the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were sold as spiritual pardons to the poor and applied to the souls of the dead (or the living) to get people into heaven. The abuse of indulgences and the blatant, sometimes fraudulent practice of selling indulgences for money, led to Luther's protest. When Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, he omitted the seven books of the canon which refer to prayers for the dead. He then introduced the heretical belief that people are simply saved, or not, and argued that there is no need to pray for the dead to get them into heaven. The Church reeled from Luther's accusation, and reformed its practice of selling indulgences. However, it reemphasized the Biblical and traditional practice of praying for the departed and the importance of such prayers.

All Souls Day is celebrated in much of the western world on November 2. Other rites have their own celebrations. The Eastern Orthodox Church has several such days throughout the year, mostly on Saturdays. All Souls Day is not a holy day of obligation. It should not be confused with All Saints' Day, which is a holy day of obligation. Many cultures also mark the day differently. In North America, Americans may say extra prayers or light candles for the departed. In parts of Latin America, families visit the graves of their ancestors and sometimes leave food offerings for the departed. More about All Souls' Day from Wikipedia All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. In Western Christianity, this day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox churches observe several All Souls' Days during the year.

The Roman Catholic celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain the beatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass (see Purgatory).[1] In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory. The official name of the celebration in the Roman Rite liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church is "The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed".[1] Another popular name in English is Feast of All Souls. In some other languages the celebration, not necessarily on the same date, is known as Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos or de los Difuntos in Spanish-speaking countries; halottak napja in Hungary; Yom el Maouta in Lebanon, Israel and Syria). The Western celebration of All Souls' Day is on 2 November and follows All Saints' Day, which commemorates the departed who have attained the beatific vision.

If 2 November falls on a Sunday, the Mass is of All Souls, but the Office is that of the Sunday. However, Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers) for the Dead, in which the people participate, may be said. In pre-1969 calendars, which some still follow, and in the Anglican Communion, All Souls Day is instead transferred, whenever 2 November falls on a Sunday, to the next day, 3 November, as in 2008. The Eastern Orthodox Church dedicates several days throughout the year to the dead, mostly on Saturdays, because of Jesus' resting in the tomb on Saturday. The Western celebration All Souls' Day procession, Tucson, Arizona, 2008 Historically, the Western tradition identifies the general custom of praying for the dead dating as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42-46. The custom of setting apart a special day for intercession for certain of the faithful on November 2 was first established by St. Odilo of Cluny (d.

1048) at his abbey of Cluny in 998.[2] From Cluny the custom spread to the other houses of the Cluniac order, which became the largest and most extensive network of monasteries in Europe. The celebration was soon adopted in several dioceses in France, and spread throughout the Western Church. It was accepted in Rome only in the fourteenth century. While 2 November remained the liturgical celebration, in time the entire month of November became associated in the Western Catholic tradition with prayer for the departed; lists of names of those to be remembered being placed in the proximity of the altar on which the sacrifice of the mass is offered.[3] The legend connected with its foundation is given by Peter Damiani in his Life of St Odilo: a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land was cast by a storm on a desolate island. A hermit living there told him that amid the rocks was a chasm communicating with purgatory, from which perpetually rose the groans of tortured souls. The hermit also claimed he had heard the demons complaining of the efficacy of the prayers of the faithful, and especially the monks of Cluny, in rescuing their victims.

Upon returning home, the pilgrim hastened to inform the abbot of Cluny, who then set 2 November as a day of intercession on the part of his community for all the souls in Purgatory. Eastern-Rite Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox churches Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, there are several All Souls' Days during the year. Most of these fall on Saturday, since Jesus lay in the Tomb on Holy Saturday. These are referred to as Soul Saturdays. They occur on the following occasions: The Saturday of Meatfare Week (the second Saturday before Great Lent).the day before the Sunday of the Last Judgement The second Saturday of Great Lent The third Saturday of Great Lent The fourth Saturday of Great Lent Radonitsa (Monday or Tuesday after Thomas Sunday) The Saturday before Pentecost Demetrius Saturday (the Saturday before the feast of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki.26 October) (In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church there is a commemoration of the dead on the Saturday before the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel.8 November, instead of the Demetrius Soul Saturday) (In the Serbian Orthodox Church there is also a commemoration of the dead on the Saturday closest to the Conception of St.

John the Baptist.23 September) Saturdays throughout the year are devoted to general prayer for the departed, unless some greater feast or saint's commemoration occurs. Protestantism and Roman Catholic Church At the Reformation the celebration of All Souls' Day was fused with All Saints' Day in the Anglican Church, though it was renewed individually in certain churches in connection with the Catholic Revival of the 19th century. The observance was restored with the publication of the 1980 Alternative Service Book, and it features in Common Worship as a Lesser Festival called "Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day)". Among continental Protestants its tradition has been more tenaciously maintained. Even Luther's influence was not sufficient to abolish its celebration in Saxony during his lifetime; and, though its ecclesiastical sanction soon lapsed even in the Lutheran Church, its memory survives strongly in popular custom.

Just as it is the custom of French people, of all ranks and creeds, to decorate the graves of their dead on the jour des morts, so German [3] and Polish people stream to the graveyards once a year with offerings of flowers and special grave lights (see the picture), and among Czech people the custom of visiting and tidying graves of relatives on the day is quite common even among atheists. In North America, however, most Protestant acknowledgment of the holiday is generally secular, celebrated in the form of Halloween festivities. Folklore The origins of All Souls' Day in European folklore and folk belief are related to customs of ancestor veneration[citation needed] practised worldwide, through events such as the Chinese Ghost Festival, the Japanese Bon Festival, or the Mexican Day of the Dead. The Roman custom was that of the Lemuria. In Tirol, cakes are left for them on the table and the room kept warm for their comfort. In Brittany, people flock to the cemeteries at nightfall to kneel, bareheaded, at the graves of their loved ones, and to anoint the hollow of the tombstone with holy water or to pour libations of milk on it.

At bedtime, the supper is left on the table for the souls. In Bolivia, many people believe that the dead eat the food that is left out for them. In Brazil people attend a mass or visit the cemetery taking flowers to decorate their relatives' grave, but no food is involved. See also Notes ^ a b Mershman 1907. ^ The decree ordaining the celebration is printed in the Bollandist Acta Sanctorum (Saec. VI, pt. i. p. 585). ^ a b Anonymous 1911.

Question: What is the date of All Souls Day?
Answer: 2nd November